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39
Mostly False Global

The text explains that smiling in photos was seen as lower-class from the 1800s to the 1900s, early cameras took about 20 minutes to capture a photo, and subjects needed to stay still to avoid blurring.

Two claims were verified: historically, early photographs rarely featured smiles due to long exposure times and cultural norms valuing composure. This notion evolved as technology improved and societal views shifted. On early photography, early daguerreotype cameras indeed took around ten to twenty minutes for exposure, aligning with the claim.

June 06, 2026 Language: en 4 claims analyzed

Individual Claims

64
Mostly True Culture
Smiling was considered idiotic and a lower-class action from the 1800s to the 1900s.
Although smiling was not common in early photographs, it was mainly due to cultural norms valuing composed expressions for portraits rather than being idiotic or lower-class. Evidence from sources such as Time and The Forgotten South corroborates that portraits were serious due to long exposure times and emphasis on dignity.
Fact Check Score None
Fact Check Weight 0
Web Consensus Score 70
Web Consensus Weight 50
Source Quality Score 60
Source Quality Weight 25
Llm Reasoning Score 55
Llm Reasoning Weight 25
Weighted Total 64
Evidence Summary 3 sources, cultural norms valued composed expressions but not necessarily 'idiotic' or 'lower-class' smiles.
76
Mostly True Technology
The first cameras took around 20 minutes to take a photo.
The claim is supported by sources indicating early daguerreotypes required exposure times ranging from ten to twenty minutes. This is confirmed by sources like A Flash Of Darkness and Pixsy, making the claim mostly true.
Fact Check Score None
Fact Check Weight 0
Web Consensus Score 85
Web Consensus Weight 50
Source Quality Score 75
Source Quality Weight 25
Llm Reasoning Score 80
Llm Reasoning Weight 25
Weighted Total 76
Evidence Summary Supported by historical camera timelines and photography sources.
8
False Technology
Subjects needed to stay still to get the highest quality photo with early cameras.
Fact Check Score None
Fact Check Weight 0
Web Consensus Score None
Web Consensus Weight 0
Source Quality Score None
Source Quality Weight 0
Llm Reasoning Score -1
Llm Reasoning Weight 100
Weighted Total 8
Evidence Summary None
8
False Technology
Movement would cause early photos to blur and subjects to be out of focus.
Fact Check Score None
Fact Check Weight 0
Web Consensus Score None
Web Consensus Weight 0
Source Quality Score None
Source Quality Weight 0
Llm Reasoning Score -1
Llm Reasoning Weight 100
Weighted Total 8
Evidence Summary None

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